Above: The Corner Market cook Debbie (left) and operator Kim Whittinghill (right) showcase sandwiches—including the store’s beloved bologna sandwich. Debbie is a staple of the store, having worked at The Corner Market for 29 years. “She’s just a very good cook, and the food evolved with her,” said Whittinghill. “She likes to experiment and try different things. She’ll make white or brown beans with cornbread, vegetable soup and taco soup. We’re making chili this weekend for the hunters.”
Kim Whittinghill operates The Corner Market, Roundhill, Kentucky’s one-stop shop. Roundhill is “in the middle of nowhere,” she said. The population of the town, which is about 30 minutes from the city of Bowling Green, is around 965.
The store is built to serve locals. “If we don’t have it, you don’t need it,” said Whittinghill. “We have all the PVC pipe, nuts, bolts, nails, you might need. We have oil, antifreeze, dog collars and fencing supplies,” she said.
Whittinghill’s parents built the store in 1988. “Dad bought the piece of land and there was a building on it. Back then, there weren’t as many big company c-stores. My mom, after dad passed in 1995, worked hard to keep the store going as mom-and-pop country stores slowly disappeared. She made a connection with the people, and I think that is why we have survived.”
Whittinghill and her husband took over day-to-day operations in 2019. Before that, she was a public school teacher for 20 years.
One of the first things Whittinghill did was add hoagies to the menu. “We slice the meat fresh as people order it and make sandwiches. Not a lot of places do that anymore. You can’t buy a fresh cold sandwich,” she said, adding, “Our sandwiches are huge. If you come here, you’re going to get your money’s worth.” She added: “Our t-shirts say ‘Home of the World’s Best Sandwich.’”
And the most popular sandwich with customers? The bologna sandwich. “It’s huge,” Whittinghill said.
The popularity of bologna goes beyond the sandwich. “I dare say we sell more bologna than anyone.” The store once had a contest for customers to guess how much bologna would sell that week. The total ended up being 150 pounds. “People call our bologna Roundhill round steak,” she said. “One of our main breakfast items is fried bologna. People come in just for that. It brings people to our store.”
Another popular menu item is pickled eggs—“They fly out of the store. We can’t make them fast enough. People will get two pickled eggs, and then they throw a little hot sauce, salt and pepper on them.”
From April to October, the store sells soft-serve ice cream. “We have a lot of kids come in. Mom and dad bring them. Some people come every day for a cone. Customers are disappointed when we stop selling it,” Whittinghill said.
Pepperoni rolls are another customer favorite. “It’s a seven-inch round piece of dough. We roll it out and make it big with a lot of cheese and a lot of pepperoni. We lather it with garlic butter on top. If someone calls and says they want it with mushrooms or veggies, we make it for them any way they want.”
The Corner Market recently made pepperoni rolls available anytime. “I wanted to expand the menu to give us something to focus on. With a dollar store every 10 miles, we had to compete.” The key is connection. “It’s a unique place. ... We know the customers’ names and ask about them and their families.”